DHHS split creates new CIO role in Victoria

Victoria’s newly-minted Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) is on the lookout for an inaugural chief information officer following its conception earlier this month.

The department was forged in the split of the sprawling former Department of Health and Human Services on February 1, marking a return to separate departments for health and social policy.

DFFH will take charge of the child protection, prevention of family violence and housing and disability portfolios, with DHHS’ remaining functions falling to the new Department of Health (DH).

Under the Machinery of Goverment changes, DHHS tech chief Steve Hodgkinson has moved to DH, leaving the CIO role at DFFH up for grabs.

Former DHHS strategy and design director Fiona Sparks is understood to be acting in the DFFH CIO position in the interim.

DFFH is looking for executives to take charge of the department's IT and digital projects, which will be governed through an IT subcommittee shared with DH.

The CIO will be expected to work closely with Hodgkinson, with IT operations and project delivery to be provided by DH’s corporate alliance shared services arrangement. 

Infrastructure services will similarly be managed through the state government’s shared services provider Cenitex.

The SES band 2 role will, however, determine the department’s IT and data strategies, as well as supported the governance approach shared with DH.

The successful applicant will be expected to have “proven experience leading ICT in an organisation of equivalent size and complexity” and an understanding of the key issues impacted public services.

DFFH is offering a package of up to $360,000 to attract top candidates to the role.